High chair tray catch and swivel assembly



1965 R. F. ANDERSON 3,21

HIGH CHAIR TRAY CATCH AND SWIVEL ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 17, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Irv/anion- )?041 /7 f finderjon Oct. 19, 1965 F. ANDERSON3,212,814

HIGH CHAIR TRAY CATCH AND SWIVEL ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 17, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 0.

3,212,814 HIGH CHAIR TRAY CATCH AND SWIVEL ASSEMBLY Ralph F. Anderson,Rockford, Ill., assignor to National Lock Co., Rockford, Ill., acorporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 345,301 8 Claims.(Cl. 297-155) The present invention relates to a novel catch and swivelassembly for the tray of a high chair and more particularly to anassembly providing a novel spring catch cooperating with a bracket onone arm of the high chair and a swivel mounting and bracket assembly onthe other arm of the high chair. The assembly provides for two positionsof adjustment for the tray which functions to support in an easilyaccessible position a childs food and toys, and also to retain a childin seated position and prevent injury by falling or sliding out or offof the high chair and onto the floor.

An important object of the present invention is the provision of a highchair tray assembly which is securely latched in operative position uponand spanning the arms of the high chair and can be easily released andswiveled to an inoperative position at one side of the chair when thechild is to be removed. The catch mechanism is easily and quicklyengaged or released from a bracket secured to the arm and the swivelmechanism may be readily released from the bracket on the opposite arm.

Another important object of the present invention is the provision of anovel swivel or pivotal mounting at-one side of the tray which providesa universal connection including a horizontally arranged swivel bracketpin carrying a swivel bracket which in turn carries a verticallyarranged swivel bracket rivet or pivot. When the other side of the trayis released by the disengagement of its locking spring, the tray is freeto pivot about the horizontal swivel bracket pin and also to rotateabout the vertically arranged swivel bracket rivet or pivot extendingthrough an elongated opening in a swivelplate afiixed to the tray.

A further important object of the present invention is the provision ofbrackets which are secured to the arms of the high chair and whichprovide a two-position adjustment of the locking spring and the swivelbracket to adjust the tray position on the arms of the high chair. Thearm bracket for the locking spring has a pair of spaced openings in thebracket defining a locking bar adapted to receive and retain the spring,and the opposite bracket has a pair of spaced clamping hook-likeprojections which are adapted to grip the horizontal swivel bracket pin.

The present invention further comprehends the provision of arm bracketswhich are formed of a suitable plastic material such as nylon to providean economical and lightweight assembly and one assuring a long life evenunder rough usage.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maxi mum simplicity,efiiciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such furtherobjects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear andare inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a high chair to which the noveltray swivel and catch assembly have been applied but with the upperportion of the chair legs only being shown, the tray being shown in fulllines in its operative, latched position and in dotted lines in themanner in which the released tray may be lifted and swung to fully openor inoperative position above and also at one side of the chair.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the high chair and tray of FIG.1 with the tray shown in full lines in ice one position of adjustmentand in dotted lines in the other position of adjustment.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view in front elevation showing theswivel mounting bracket mounted on the arm of the high chair with thetray in released depending position at one side of the chair.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the bracket shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged view in front elevation similar to FIG.3 but with the tray in its operative position.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged view in side elevation of the swivelmounting bracket with the tray in operative position.

FIG. 7 is a fragmental enlarged view in side elevation of the armbracket and locking mechanism on the tray in operative position.

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 88 of FIG.7.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the plate and locking spring which aresecured to the tray.

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 1010 ofFIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the swivel plate and swivel mountingassembly adapted to be secured to the tray.

FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of the arm bracket for the swivelassembly.

FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of the arm bracket for the lockingassembly.

FIG. 14 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 14--14 ofFIG. 11 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which is shown anillustrative embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 1 and 2 disclosea high chair 10 having a seat 11, a back rest 12, legs 13, and arms 14mounted upon supporting members or uprights 15. The arms 14 are adaptedto support a tray 16 thereabove with the tray spanning and extendingbeyond the arms. The tray not only serves to support a childs food aswell as toys but also to restrain the child from falling or sliding outof the high chair. This tray may be of any suitable design.

To effectively retain the tray 16 secure in its operative position andprevent the seated child from disengaging the latching means and therebydisplace or move the tray to unlatched or open position but to permitthe tray to be quickly unlatched and swung to open position by anotheror older person for removal of the child, the present inventioncomprehends a novel swivel assembly adjacent one end of the tray and anovel spring catch adjacent the opposite end thereof. The tray ispivotally mounted on one arm of the chair upon a substantiallyhorizontal axis and when the opposite end of the tray is released, thetray may be swung upwardly and also swiveled to further permit the trayto be swung outwardly about a substantially vertical axis to one side ofthe chair and also about a substantially horizontal axis when moved tothe elevated position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1; from either ofwhich positions at the one side of the chair the tray may be moved ordropped to a depending position at one side of the chair as shown inFIGS. 1, 3 and 4.

As shown in FIGS. 3 through 6, the swivel assembly 17 is mounted ontothe arm 14 of the chair at the left hand side, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.The swivel assembly includes an elongated arm bracket 18 formed of asuitable plastic material such as nylon having a horizontal flange 19 toaid in positioning the bracket 18 on the round surface of the chair arm14. The bracket has spaced openings 21 (see FIG. 12) aligned withopenings in the arm 14 for suitable securing means 22 to fasten thebracket to the chair arm. The bracket 18 is provided with a pair oflongitudinally spaced outwardly extending and downwardly openinghorizontal swivel mounting arms 23, 23 whichhave elongated cylindricalchannels 24, 24 (FIG. 6) with a converging entrance or notch 25, 25 fromthe lower surface 26, 26 of the arm. The intersection of the entrance 25with the channel 24 is of a width slightly less than the diameter of thechannel to yieldably receive and retain a swivel bracket pin 27 withinthe channel.

A generally U-shaped swivel bracket 28 has spaced depending arms 29 ateach end thereof with an opening 31 in each arm to receive the swivelbracket pin 27. The pin has an enlarged head 32 at one end and theopposite end is upset to secure the swivel bracket thereon. As shown inFIGS. 4, 6, 11 and 14, the bracket 28 has a central opening 33 (FIG. 14)and a pair of spaced embossments 34 thereon to space the bracket fromthe tray swivel plate 35. The plate 35 includes a central andtransversely arranged elongated slot 36 adapted to be aligned with theopening 33 in the bracket 28 to receive a swivel bracket rivet 37 toprovide for swivelling of the plate relative to the swivel bracket 28.The plate 35 is further provided with a pair of spaced mounting openings38 for suitable securing means 39 to fasten the plate to dependingembossments 41, 41 on the underside of the tray 16.

It should be noted that the swivel assembly will provide for pivotalmovement about a vertical axis through the rivet 37 and/or about ahorizontal axis through the pin 27. Also, the swivel bracket 28 and pin27 can be re moved from the channel 24 and inserted in the channel 24*to provide for a two position adjustment of the tray 16 on the arms 14of the chair to accommodate children of different sizes or ages.

The opposite end of the tray 16 carries the locking assembly 42 (FIGS. 7and 8) which includes an arm bracket 43 with a horizontal flange 44 andopenings 45 at the ends for suitable fastener means or rivets 46 tosecure the bracket to the arm 14 of the chair. An outwardly extendingarm 47 (FIGS. 8 and 13) on the bracket has an inwardly and downwardlysloping lower surface 48 and a pair of spaced generally rectangularopenings 49, 49 (FIGS. 7 and 8) formed therethrough parallel to thebracket. An outer locking bar 51 is formed in the arm 47 by the openings49, 49 and cooperates with a locking spring 52.

The locking spring 52 is formed of a suitable spring steel and, as seenin FIGS. 8 and 10, is provided with an upper horizontal portion orflange 53 and a downwardly extending vertical portion 54 at right anglesto the flange 53; the vertical portion 54 being bent upwardly as at 55to form an outwardly and upwardly extending resilient portion 56 havingan undercut portion at 57 and terminating in an outwardly curledprojecting end 58. The vertical portion 54 and resilient portion 56provide a generally V-shaped locking spring which cooperates with thearm bracket 43.

The horizontal flange 53 is provided with a central slightly upwardlybiased locking tongue or tab 59 which cooperates with the stationarytray plate 61 (see FIGS. 9 and 10). The plate 61 includes a pair ofparallel longitudinally extending raised ribs 62, 62 which are raisedabove the plate to provide suitable spacing therebetween to receive theflange 53 of the locking spring 52. One edge of the plate 61 is cut awayat 63 to receive the vertical portion 54 of the spring 52 and the flange53 is inserted into the space above the plate 61 and below the ribs 62,62 so that the tongue 63 passes under one rib 62 and the end 64 of thetongue 59 is biased upward and positioned against the side of the rib 62to retain or prevent removal of the locking spring 52.

The plate 61 is provided with openings 65 adjacent each end thereof toreceive suitable securing means 39 to secure the plate to theembossments 41 on that end of the tray (FIG. 7).

In the utilization of the presnet assembly, the swivel bracket pin 27 issnapped into one of the two channels 24, 24 formed in the arms 23, 23depending on the size of the child occupying the chair. The lockingspring 52 is inserted downwardly into one of the openings 49, 49corresponding with the channel housing the swivel bracket pin 27, untilthe undercut portion 57 snaps under the locking bar 51, to securelyretain the tray 16 on the arms 14 of the chair 10. When the childoccupying the chair is to be removed, the curled projecting end 53 ofthe locking spring 52 is pushed inward toward the vertical portion 54 torelease the locking bar 51 from the undercut portion 57 and the lockingspring 52 is lifted out of the opening 49 or 49 Now the tray 16 can beswung or pivoted upward about the horizontal axis of the swivel bracketpin 27 to the upper position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1 and thenpivoted about the now horizontal swivel bracket rivet 37 to the lowerdepending position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1 and partially shownin FIGS. 3 and 4. Also, instead of first pivoting about the swivelbracket pin 27, the tray, after the locking spring is released, may bepivoted on a horizontal plane outward about the then vertical swivelbracket rivet 37 through an arc of approximately and then pivoted aboutthe swivel bracket pin 27 to its final position.

Furthermore, the position of the tray on the chair arms may be adjustedas shown in FIG. 2 from the full line position to the dotted lineposition by snapping the swivel bracket pin 27 from one channel 24 or 24and inserting the pin into the other channel when the tray is in itsinoperative position. Then when the tray 16 is swung or pivoted to itsoperative position, the locking spring 52 is inserted in the properopening 49 or 49 corresponding to the adjusted position of the swivelbracket pin 27.

Having disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. In a high chair provided with spaced arms and a tray for supporting achilds food and toys and for retaining the child in the chair, a traylatch and swivel assembly for adjustably, detachably and swingablymounting the tray upon the chair arms, comprising a swivel assemblymounted adjacent one end of the tray and secured to the correspondingchair arm, said swivel assembly including a bracket secured to the chairarm, at least one arm extending from the bracket and having a downwardlyopening channel, a swivel pin adapted to be releasably retained in saidchannel, a swivel bracket mounted on said swivel pin, a swivel platesecured to the underside of said tray, and a swivel rivet pivotallymounting said plate on said bracket, and a locking assembly mountedadjacent the opposite end of the tray and secured to the other chairarm, said locking assembly including a bracket secured to the chair arm,an outwardly extending arm having at least one opening therein defininga locking bar, a stationary plate secured to the underside of the tray,and a locking spring secured to and depending from the plate, saidspring including a vertical portion and a resilient portion joined by aV-shaped bend, said resilient portion having an undercut portioncooperating with the locking bar and an outwardly extending curled end.

2. A tray latch and swivel assembly as set forth in claim 1, in whichsaid bracket for the swivel assembly has a pair of spaced arms withdownwardly opening channels for said swivel pin and said bracket for thelocking assembly has a pair of spaced openings for reception of thelocking spring to provide for adjustment of the tray.

3. A tray latch and swivel assembly as set forth in claim 1, in whichthe stationary plate includes a pair of parallel ribs with their lowersurfaces raised above the upper surface of the plate to provide slots,said locking spring having a horizontal flange adapted to be received insaid slots, and means to lock the flange of the locking spring inoperative position.

4. In a high chair provided with spaced arms and a tray for supporting achilds food and toys and for retaining the child in the chair, a traylatch and swivel assembly for adjustably, detachably and swingablymounting the tray upon the chair arms, comprising a swivel assemblymounted adjacent one end of the tray and secured to the correspondingchair arm, said swivel assembly including a bracket secured to the chairarm having a pair of spaced arms extending from the bracket withdownwardly opening channels, a swivel pin adapted to be releasablyretained in one of said channels, a swivel bracket mounted on saidswivel pin, a swivel plate secured to the underside of said tray, aswivel rivet pivotally mounting said plate on said swivel bracket, and alocking assembly adjacent the opposite end of the tray including abracket secured to the other chair arm having a pair of spaced openingsand a locking spring catch mounted on the underside of the tray andreceived in one of the openings.

5. Mechanism for pivotally and swingably mounting one end of a tray uponan arm of a high chair to provide for movement of the tray from anoperative position upon the arms of the high chair to a position at theside of the high chair, comprising a bracket mounted on the arm of thehigh chair and having a pair of longitudinally spaced arms, each armhaving a downwardly opening channel to provide for adjustment of thetray, a swivel pin adapted to be releasably retained in the downwardlyopening channel of an arm, a swivel bracket mounted on the swivel pinand a plate secured to the underside of the tray and adapted to swivelrelative to the swivel bracket.

6. Mechanism for pivotally and swingably mounting one end of a tray uponan arm of a high chair to provide for movement of the tray from anoperative position upon the arms of the high chair to a position at theside of the high chair, comprising a bracket formed of a resilientmaterial mounted on the arm of the high chair and having at least onearm with a downwardly opening channel therein, said channel having aconverging entrance with the intersection of said entrance with saidopening being of a width less than the diameter of the channel, acylindrical swivel pin having a diameter corresponding to the diameterof the channel adapted to be frictionally releasably retained in thechannel, a swivel bracket mounted on the swivel pin and a plate securedto the underside of the tray and adapted to swivel relative to theswivel bracket.

7. Mechanism for pivotally and swingably mounting the tray of a highchair as set forth in claim 5, in which the opposite chair arm andadjacent end of the tray are provided with a locking assembly includinga locking spring for detachably mounting and retaining the lastmentioned end of the tray on said adjacent chair arm.

8. Mechanism for pivotally and swingably mounting the tray of a highchair as set forth in claim 5, in which the opposite chair arm andadjacent end of said tray is provided with a locking assembly includinga bracket secured to the opposite chair arm and having a locking bar, astationary plate secured to the underside of said tray, and a lockingspring depending from the stationary plate and having a resilientlybiased locking portion cooperating with said locking bar.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 831,803 9/06Schindewole 297-87 1,804,057 5/31 McCandless 297- 1,957,141 5/34 Jordan29787 X 2,468,683 4/49 Michal 297-155 2,901,767 9/59 Odlum et al 24816 X2,918,318 12/59 Sacharski 16-85 X FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A HIGH CHAIR PROVIDED WITH SPACED ARMS AND A TRAY FOR SUPPORTING ACHILD''S FOOD AND TOYS AND FOR RETAINING THE CHILD IN THE CHAIR, A TRAYLATCH AND SWIVEL ASSEMBLY FOR ADJUSTABLY, DETACHABLY AND SWINGABLYMOUNTING THE TRAY UPON THE CHAIR ARMS, COMPRISING A SWIVEL ASSEMBLYMOUNTED ADJACENT ONE END OF THE TRAY AND SECURED TO THE CORRESPONDINGCHAIR ARM, SAID SWIVEL ASSMBLY INCLUDING A BRACKET SECURED TO THE CHAIRARM, AT LEAST ONE ARM EXTENDING FROM THE BRACKET AND HAVING A DOWNWARDLYOPENING CHANNEL, A SWIVEL PIN ADAPTED TO BE RELEASABLY RETAINED IN SAIDCHANNEL, A SWIVEL BRACKET MOUNTED ON SAID SWIVEL PIN, A SWIVEL PLATESECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID TRAY, AND A SWIVEL RIVET PIVOTALLYMOUNTED SAID PLATE ON SAID BRACKET, AND A LOCKING ASSEMBLY MOUNTEDADJACENT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE TRAY AND SECURED TO THE OTHER CHAIRARM, SAID LOCKING ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A BRACKET SECURED TO THE CHAIR ARM,AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING ARM HAVING AT LEAST ONE OPENING THEREIN DEFININGA LOCKING BAR, A STATIONARY PLATE SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRAY,AND A LOCKING SPRING SECURED TO AND DEPENDING FROM THE PLATE, SAIDSPRING INCLUDING A VERTICAL PORTION AND A RESILIENT PORTION JOINED BY AV-SHAPED BEND, SAID RESILIENT PORTION HVING AN UNDERCUT PORTIONCOOPERATING WITH THE LOCKING BAR AND AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING CURLED END.